SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday called on the Department of Labor and Employment to accelerate the distribution of financial aid allotted for teachers and non-teaching personnel under the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2.

The senator lamented that displaced teachers and non-teaching staff have waited long enough for help.

The Bayanihan 2 provides P300 million for the one-time cash assistance to displaced teaching and non-teaching personnel in private and public elementary, secondary, and tertiary institutions.

“Bakit inabot ng ganitong katagal ang ayuda para sa mga guro?” he asked.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture said that the education sector should have been prioritized because it is one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.

“Ang ayudang nakalaan sa ilalim ng Bayanihan 2 ay matagal nang hinihintay ng mga guro at mga non-teaching personnel na nawalan ng trabaho. Ngayong tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang tanggalan sa maraming opisina  at mayroon nang bagong variant ang Covid19, marapat lamang na maipaabot na sa kanila ang ayudang matagal nang ipinangakong magpapaluwag sa kanilang mga pasanin,” he added.

Part-time faculty in State Universities and Colleges who lost their jobs or who have not received their wages are also entitled to the subsidy.

The Department of Education reported that 4,488 teachers in 865  private schools were affected by the suspension of operations.

The Commission on Higher Education also reported in May that some 50,000 part-time lecturers in private colleges and universities also need financial aid.

Gatchalian urged DOLE to iron out the final guidelines with CHED and DepEd so that school personnel could finally receive their cash aid.